After Ferrari and Audi upgraded their turbochargers earlier this season, we now learn that Mercedes is about to do the same.

Without going into too much technical detail, it is enough to say that the turbocharger offers one of the biggest opportunities for performance gains under the current technical regulations — which explains why so much attention is being focused on it.

But the bigger question is about the FIA’s not-so-clear evaluation process and the upgrade opportunities that were supposedly introduced to help equalise performance between engine manufacturers.

In reality, they are being used for additional — and potentially crucial — performance gains.

An opportunity designed to close the gap can therefore become another opportunity to pull ahead.

Classic F1 … 🏎️⚙️

How many times have you heard Max Verstappen telling his team this season:

“We have car degradation!”
“The damping is broken!”

Or something very similar?

It is obvious that the Red Bull has the potential to be very fast when optimised for the given conditions — but getting it there remains a very difficult task.

Its unusual sidepod design points to a different aerodynamic concept from its main rivals. And something particularly interesting emerges from Max’s radio messages: the damping — and especially the worsening handling as the laps accumulate.

This points towards the well-known problem of damper overheating, which changes its characteristics as temperatures rise.

But it could never be as simple as “Red Bull just needs better damper cooling.”

The problems are clearly far more complex, and the solutions appear to be elusive even for one of the top engineering teams in F1.

And that is what makes the RB22 so fascinating: it can be incredibly fast when everything comes together, but keeping it there is another story.

The big question now is how long Red Bull will continue investing in optimising the current car — and when the focus will shift entirely to the 2027 machine.

The newest — and currently slowest — team in F1, Cadillac has repeatedly stressed its long-term commitment and highlighted its stable partnerships with world-leading companies.

The team’s majority shareholder, Mark Walter, and his company TWG Global are supposed to provide the financial platform for Cadillac’s long-term F1 expansion.

So it is certainly surprising to see a potentially significant lawsuit emerge around Walter’s insurance businesses.

For now, Cadillac F1 remains unaffected, but this is exactly the kind of publicity a new team does not need during its first season.

And then there was another rather interesting statement: Cadillac F1 is not for sale.

The strange thing?

Nobody appears to have said they were trying to buy it. 🙂

Walter has also been restructuring his wider sports interests, including the sale of his stake in the Los Angeles Lakers.

There are now rumours of major changes within Cadillac F1 even before the team completes its first season.

Nothing is confirmed — but these are certainly interesting times ahead for Cadillac. 🏎️💰

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🏎️ The Fastest Lap Team

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Tomorrow, best. 🏎️